Coimbatore: Police officers in the West Zone will have to eliminate all illegal activities and certify that areas under them are clean, said Inspector-General of Police, West Zone, P. Sivanandi.

He told The Hindu that a meeting of police officers to discuss the issue was held recently. Deputy Inspector General of Police B. Bala Naga Devi (Coimbatore) and G. Venkataraman (Salem) and Superintendents of Police from the Nilgiris, Coimbatore Rural, Tirupur, Erode, Namakkal, Salem Rural , Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts attended the meeting.

Mr. Sivanandi said all Inspectors should eradicate from their areas illegal activities such as sale of banned lottery, toddy/arrack and gambling. They should step up crime prevention efforts. The officers should submit a certificate on their limits to the Deputy Superintendents of Police and the Superintendents of Police. The certificate would finally reach the office of the zonal Inspector General of Police.

But the officers would be held solely responsible for any offences occurring in their limits even after the certificate was given.

The process was expected to take 10 days and then decoys would check the veracity of the self-certification, he said.

Mr. Sivanandi said Lions Clubs had offered to assist the police in ensuring the success of the ‘FIR at the doorstep scheme.' In case of manpower shortage, Lions Clubs in the West Zone would deliver the FIR copies.

The police should instil a feeling in people's minds that they need not be afraid of them. This called for an attitudinal change in the police. The police should be friendly with the public and petitioners, Mr. Sivanandi said.

Policemen should not commit offences for it would tarnish the image of the force and alienate it from the public, he said.

On Thursday, Mr.Sivanandi warned that stringent action would be taken against those indulging in money laundering and usury.

He wanted Station House Officers in all eight districts in the zone to prepare a list of people indulging in usury and initiate action against them. Similarly, those indulging in arbitrations (katta panchayat) would be dealt with severely.

If action was not taken on complaints, the public could directly call 99440-95555. Anonymity of the complainant would be maintained.

Courtesy - Hindu